In the manufacturing of the optical fibers, the optical preforms are heated to temperatures much above the glass softening point and then drawn at large draw down ratios to form optical fibers 125 μm in diameter. Due to the high draw temperatures, large draw down ratios and fast draw speeds, silica bonds can break and defects can be induced in the glass matrix in the optical fiber. Some of these defects are oxidizing defects like the non-bridging oxygen (NBO) defects, which can react with hydrogen even at room temperature to form hydroxyl species. Formation of hydroxyl species in optical fibers is undesirable because hydroxyl species absorb at wavelengths in the telecommunication window and lead to increased transmission losses of optical signals in the telecommunication window. Thus, it is important to develop optical fibers with reduced hydrogen sensitivity for deployment in telecommunication systems.